General William Lee Davidson: Among the Best of the Best

General William Lee Davidson, though rarely heralded, was one of America’s most outstanding military leaders of the American Revolution. A commander of Continental regiments that fought alongside General Washington, he led North Carolina’s militia when it was at its lowest ebb. Right after the Battle of Camden and Fishing Creek; both devastating losses. Davidson’s strength as a leader shined during the six months as General of the Salisbury District, North Carolina’s largest command. Without Continental support, he organized the militia to face Cornwallis’ army and attack patrols and sever supply lines. Mainly using guerrilla tactics, he stalled British attempts to invade the north at a time when all of North Carolina and Virginia lay vulnerable.

General Davidson had all to live for and was only 34 years of age with five small children and a sixth on the way when he was killed at the Battle of Cowan’s Ford, February 1, 1781. Like many leaders who die on the battlefield, he led by example, from the front, never from behind,[1] paying dearly in the ultimate sacrifice. But Davidson left behind a legacy that honors his dedication and steadfastness. It was a critical time in history that the survival of new nation depended on such men like Davidson. A frontier warrior’s sacrificial dedication to an experiment in democracy, dedicated to and for the people. One that has stood the test of time through Civil War, racist bigotry, and the recent threat of fascism; 250 years and counting.   

Early Life: Scotch-Irish Immigrants

When William Lee Davidson[2] (1746 – Feb. 1, 1781) was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, the youngest son of George Davidson Sr. (1707-1760), age 39, and Margaret Ware (1712-1765), age 34.  His father George was one of the many Scotch Presbyterian immigrants from Scotland who settled in Ulster County, Ireland in the early 18^th century.[3]  Known as Scotch-Irish, many later resettled to Pennsylvania and later the Carolinas. This ruin of the woolen industries, exorbitant land rents, and famine that became widespread in the years 1740 and 1741, induced many Scotch-Irish to look to the American Colonies as an escape.[4] William’s father George Davidson was among this early exodus, thought to have immigrated to America in the early 1740’s.

Most Scotch-Irish landed in Philadelphia or at Lewes or New Castle in Delaware. We do not know with whom George traveled and that if he was already married to Margaret[5] when he settled in Lancaster (Quaker) County.  When William was born in 1746, we know that several of the Davidson clan had also settled in the Lancaster region, soon to become attracted to the promise of fertile available land in the Carolinas. In 1748, George and family, along with his brother John, joined other Scotch-Irish along the Great Wagon Road to settle in the upper waters of the Yadkin River. It was a trip of around 430 miles to what later became Rowan County and present day Forsyth County, North Carolina. At first the Davidsons obtained land by squatters’ claims along what became Davidson’s Creek, and later several hundred areas through grants. By cunning and hard work, the Davidson clan became prosperous. By 1753, George operated an ‘ordinary’ or tavern on his plantation. By the late 1750’s, besides William, there were four other children: Mary (Preston) Sherrill, George Davidson, Julia Davidson and Samuel Davidson.

Matures along Frontier’s Backcountry Wilderness

William’s father George died in 1760 when William was 14 years old.[6]  All the children were young and required guardians; Williams being Alexander Owsborne and John Brevard (father of his later wife Mary Brevard). Early biographer Henry “Light-Horse Harry” Lee wrote that William was educated in a plain country manner at an academy in Charlotte; believed to be Sugaw Creek, a boy’s school three miles from Charlotte.[7] By all accounts, young William’s life in the backcountry wilds was that of a normal boy; school, chores with minimal time for gatherings with other boys his age for hunting and fishing. In 1765, age 18, William’s mother died and he was living with his cousin, thirty-six year old tanner and currier George Davidson, son of William’s uncle John. By 1767, William had become somewhat of a frontier scout. That year, he and George escorted North Carolina Governor William Tryon[8] during the governor’s mission to parley with the Cherokee over disputed lands. After this influential experience, William showed a keen interest in the military and the local militia.

Returning from the governor’s service, William began to court one of his former guardian’s daughter, Mary Brevard (1747 – 1824). The two were married on December 10, 1767, father of the bride justice John Brevard[9] performing the ceremony. The two moved to a log house inherited by Mary on a rise across Davidson creek from the meeting house. William farmed and traded horses, tanning and smithing on the side. Between the years 1769 and 1781 (the year of his death), he and Mary would have six children: Jean, Pamelia, Margaret, Ephraim, William Jr., and Melinda.  

William became skilled in firearms. By 1770, he was appointed constable for his district and was responsible for keeping the peace. His duties included census taking and over time, had developed a good rapport with most residents of Rowan County. His steady hand and cool head in fulfilling his role as peace keeper earned him the respect of all within the Upper Yadkin to the Catawba River. In 1772, William became a captain in the Rowan militia under Colonel Griffith Rutherford and took the oath to the King as the law required. As a lawmen and frontier scout, William respected authority and proved to be physically brave to the point of fool-hardiness. Traits displayed early on carried into the American Revolution where he often exposed himself to fire while positioning and leading his men in combat.  

Pre-Revolution

Prior to talk of rebellion with England, The Scotch-Irish in Rowan County from 1764-1771, was torn with disagreement over the Regulator Movement. It pitted western backcountry farmers who were governed and overtaxed by the elite coastal planters to the east.[10] At first, many supported the King, in fact a Rowan County militia company rode in support of Tryon in 1768. But by 1771 and the “Battle of Alamance,” that squashed the movement. Many in Rowan County had changed sides; despising the coastal “Rice Kings” and their backers, mother England. The roots of discontent towards the British Governance were born. The new Royal Governor Joseph Martin placed severe constrictions on local governments, then later resolved legislatures, with the backing of Parliament. This, and incised by northern radical rebels, talk of rebellion among many Scotch-Irish became common. Davidson was no exception. At first an arm of King’s Law, he later became an active member of radicalized militias.

Boston and leaders to the north took the rebellious lead with North Carolina following. By 1774, the colony established their own legislature. In coordination with the north, Committees of Correspondence, the first local rebellious governments, were established. By then Davidson had become a respected leader both as peace keeper and captain of the militia. On September 23^rd, his name appears as one of the 25 appointees to the Rowan County Committee of Correspondence. Davidson also had land holdings in Charlotte and was similarly active in nearby Mecklenburg County. Over the next several months, he organized and drilled his company of militia. Shots fired in Lexington, Massachusetts on April 9, 1775, triggered open hostilities and the backcountry farmer/peace keeper was ready. On August 1, 1775, as directed by the Continental Congress, his Rowan Country company was officially titled minute men. The war had started and the first fight in North Carolina would prove to be a civil war.

American Revolution Begins: Militia Leader

North Carolina’s first actions in the war were not against the crown, but against neighbors. Local Kings Men, called loyalists, Tories, and labeled the derogatory Scopholites[11] clashed with rebellious Whig colonists labeled patriots, and insurgents or rebels by the crown. September 20, 1775, Captain Davidson’s company numbered 118 minute men. Davidson had been tasked by the Rowan County Committee of Safety, the Committee of Correspondence’s military arm, to find suspected loyalists and bring them in for questioning. A month later, October 17^th, he was a member.

December, 1775, Captain Davidson rode south to join South Carolina’s General Richard Richardson [12] in his campaign against a large force of Carolina loyalists.[13] Davidson was soon appointed adjunct to General Richardson. His company participated in the Snow Campaign,[14] December 22-30, 1775, that included the Battle of Great Cane Brake on December 22^nd. Recognized for his leadership role during the campaign, in early 1776, Davidson was appointed major in the 1^st Rowan County State Regiment of Militia under Colonel Francis Locke. They did not march to participate in the Battle of Moore’s Creek Bridge,[15] Feb. 28, 1776, staying home to protect the region from potential loyalist uprisings.

Major in the North Carolina Continental Line

September 1, 1775, North Carolina organized two state regiments (state militia), the 1^st and 2^nd to serve anywhere from six weeks to six month enlistments.[16] In April 1776, the provincial legislature complied with Congress’ order that a total of nine federal regiments were to be raised by the state. The two state regiments, along with four new regiments, were organized to serve in the Continental Army.[17] April 15, 1776^[18] William Lee Davidson, age 30, was commissioned a major in the 4^th North Carolina Regiment that became part of the North Carolina Line.[19]  The regiment was eight companies strong with the majority from the Salisbury District.[20] Davidson’s regiment, under Colonel Thomas Polk, was ordered south by Southern Continental Army commander General Charles Lee to Charleston, South Carolina in June, 1776, to help defend the city against a British fleet and invasion force under General Henry Clinton. In deference to some secondary sources, there is no confirmation that the regiment arrived in time to participate in the successful Battle of Sullivan Island, June 28, 1776. If present, they joined the city’s guard and were observers of the battle. We know that the regiment was in Charleston as late as July 25^th before ordered north to Wilmington, NC in August.

Accordingly, Davidson served a spell once more as adjunct to South Carolina militia General Richard Rutherford in his brief campaign against the Cherokees in August, but there is no documentation to support this and seems highly unlikely.[21] The regiment remained in Wilmington throughout the 1776-1777 winter. During this time, Washington’s army had lost New York City and was driven across New Jersey into Pennsylvania. After the battles of Trenton and Princeton, Washington wintered in northern New Jersey. But he had lost a considerable number of troops to casualties and expired enlistments. Congress sought reinforcements for the army and by early spring 1777, ordered the North Carolina regiments north.[22]

North Carolina Brigade Joins Washington In Piecemeal

The nine North Carolina Continental regiments formed the North Carolina Brigade and began assembling at Quankey Creek, near Halifax, North Carolina. Many of the officers remained in their districts recruiting as the army gradually prepared to march north once new recruits arrived. April 15, 1777, General James Moore, commander of both the southern army and the North Carolina Brigade, had died. This left Maj. General Robert Howe in charge of the Southern Army at Charleston. Colonel Francis Nash of the 1^st NC Regiment was promoted to brigadier general of the North Carolina Brigade. By the end of April, 1777, General Nash left for Washington’s army in Middlebrook, New Jersey.

Throughout the summer of 1777, the North Carolina brigade arrived New Jersey in piecemeal. It took time to organize and recruiting efforts were not fruitful; fewer than expected troops slowly filtered in to camp. So too, delays resulted from a smallpox outbreak and time consuming inoculations. On September 1, 1777, the last of the brigade at Halifax’s Quankey Camp marched north under Colonel John Williams. Little was recorded of the exact numbers of North Carolina troops or dates regiments joined Washington’s army. Therefore, there is no exact record of the number of North Carolina troops present at what is considered the first battle for Philadelphia.[23]

Battles for Philadelphia

At the Battle of Brandywine, September 11, 1777, General Nash’s North Carolina Brigade was under Major General Marquis de Lafayette and deployed in reserve. During the battle, the brigade’s main body, remained in reserve and saw little if any action. Some of the brigade regiment’s light infantry companies served temporarily in the newly organized Corps of Light Infantry and saw heavy fighting while defending Chadd’s Ford against the Hessian diversionary force. Questions arose if Davidson arrived in time to participate in the battle.

June 1777 found Davidson in Salisbury, North Carolina, actively recruiting Rowan and Mecklenburg Counties for the 4^th Regiment. On July 18^th, he left for Halifax, NC, arriving on the 29^th, having left some of his captains to follow with new recruits. The exact date Davidson marched north is subject to speculation. Many accounts follow tradition and place him at the Battle of Brandywine, Sept. 11, 1777. The last of the brigade that departed on September 1^st arrived too late for the battle. Therefore, if Davidson was at Brandywine, he would have left sometime in August[24] with the whole or part of his regiment.[25]

Davidson’s 4^th, as well as the brigade, saw intense combat the following month, October 4^th, at the Battle of Germantown. Part of Major General Greene’s Division, the NC Brigade was involved north of the Chew Mansion and along with General Sullivan’s division, pressed the British back in a general retreat. Fog and confusion contributed to friendly fire between Greene’s and General Wayne’s troops who suffered severely. Combined with ammunition running short, the American drive was stalled and the British counter attacked. The Americans retreated with the North Carolina Brigade successfully slowing the British advance in fierce fighting during rear guard action.

At Germantown the North Carolina suffered greatly. General Nash was mortally wounded towards the end of battle, a cannon ball having mangled his leg just below his thigh, and died a few days later.^[26] Major Davidson’s 4^th Regiment experienced heavy casualties along with their commander, Colonel Thomas Polk, shot through the jaw.

Promotion and Valley Forge

Due to severe losses during Germantown, the North Carolina Brigade was reformed.[27] The 3^rd was consolidated into the 2^nd and the 8^th disbanded, its men transferred to the 2^nd. Also, Davidson’s 4^th Regiment was consolidated into the 1^st. But Davidson did not follow his men into the 1^st. Colonel Edward Buncombe of the 5^th was wounded and captured,[28] and the regiment’s Lt. Colonel Henry Irwin was killed. On November 7, 1777, Lt. Colonel Davidson was promoted to replace Lt. Colonel Irwin of the 5^th; tradition states it was awarded due to Davidson’s gallantry at Germantown.[29]

After Germantown, Washington camped his army at Whitemarsh, about 14 miles northwest of Philadelphia. General Howe pulled his army back to Philadelphia with no intention of attacking and Washington marched for winter quarters at Valley Forge, twenty-four miles northwest from the enemy. Late December 1777 and into January, 1778, log cabins for the troops were constructed. Colonel Buncombe, ^[30] captive and on parole in Philadelphia, remained colonel of the 5^th, leaving the regiment’s daily command to Davidson and his subordinates.[31] To mirror the Continental Army, the 5^th was not prepared for the hardships of winter, suffering from want of food and supplies. The regiments return the day after arriving at Valley Forge listed 191 soldiers, of which only 46 were fit for duty;[32] total returns on December 20, 1777 North Carolina regiments were 1,394.[33] While at Valley Forge, Davidson developed lasting friends with Henry ‘Light Horse Harry’ Lee and Daniel Morgan, later important colleagues during the southern campaigns.

Davidson Transferred to the 3^rd Reg., Recruits in NC and Misses Monmouth

Davidson remained in temporary command of the 5^th. Its Colonel Buncombe was kept on the roster even though held captive and dying in Philadelphia after his Germantown wounds opened in a fall. In spring of 1778, returns for the North Carolina Brigade at Valley Forge were still dismal; having lost a large number of men to casualties, disease, and departures for home after enlistments ended. Most regiments numbered less than 100 men with Davidson’s 5^th the largest at 251 troops. By March, it was decided to reduce the NC Brigade to three regiments and officers sent home to recruit.

Davidson was amongst those North Carolina officers riding south in April. On May 29, 1778, Congress made it official, consolidating what was left of the six regiments (the 7^th, 8^th, and 9^th had previously been disbanded) into three; the 6^th was transferred to the 1^st, the 4^th was added to the 2^nd, and Davidson’s 5^th regiment was given to the 3^rd. The 3^rd was to be reorganized in North Carolina leaving only the 1^st and 2^nd regiments, also labeled battalions, with Washington’s army. On June 1, 1778, while Lt. Colonel Davidson was recruiting in Rowan County, he was assigned to the 3^rd Regiment, second under Colonel James Hogun[34] (previously colonel of the disbanded 7^th). Hogun replaced the 3^rd commander, Col. Jethro Sumner, who was ill and recuperating in North Carolina. Hogun and Davidson’s orders stated that upon completion of the NC 3^rd regiment’s roster, to return north and rejoin the main army.

Colonel Sumner had been in charge of recruiting all enlistments for the North Carolina regiments. But since he was sick, Davidson’s commander, Colonel Hogun of the 3^rd Reg.[35] also assumed this assignment. New recruits for the 3^rd assembled at Charlotte, N. Carolina. Davidson, along with Major William Polk, marched slowly northeast, gathering additional recruits along the way. They reached Moore’s Creek, N. Carolina where they received word of the Battle of Monmouth. Most secondary accounts incorrectly state that Davidson participated in the Battle of Monmouth, June 28, 1778. But as detailed, Davidson was still in North Carolina. Further support of this listed the only two regiments present at the battle representing North Carolina (1^st and 2^nd) whose rosters included their lieutenant colonels; the 1^st – Lt. Col. Robert Mebane, and the 2^nd – Lt. Col. Selby Harney.^[36] If Davidson was present at the battle, he would have been listed instead of either lieutenant colonels.

Returns North & Commands the 3^rd

Colonel Hogun was at Halifax, N. Carolina waiting for the arrival of recruits. He was still there by mid-July when he marched north with 5 to 600 nine-month levees, arriving Philadelphia late in August, 1778. While in Halifax, we know that on July 9^th, Hogun mentions in correspondence that Lt. Colonel Davidson was not present. Either Davidson arrived just in time to march with Hogun, joined him along the road, or most likely, reached Philadelphia later, in September, 1778, at the head of his regiment’s new recruits. He had remained in temporary command of the 3^rd until he marched north to join Colonel Hogan involved with throwing up fortifications at West Point, NY.

Meanwhile, Congress requested that Washington send one or two Continental regiments to assist local militia in town duties and guarding military stores. Washington agreed and on December 13, 1778, wrote to General Benedict Arnold, military commander of Philadelphia, that he was sending the NC 3^rd. On December 19^th, Washington sent orders to Davidson to march directly to Philadelphia (leaving a captain and fifty men at Trenton to guard stores) and report to Arnold. For a short period of time, Davidson continued in command of the 3^rd in Philadelphia, waiting for Colonel Hogun to join his regiment.

North Carolina Commanders Shuffled Leaving Davidson Without a Command

On January 9, 1779, there was another shake up of North Carolina regiments. Colonel Hogun and Colonel Sumter were promoted to Brigadiers. Since Col. Jethro Sumner was still in the south, Hogun resumed command of the North Carolina 1^st Brigade that included the 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd regiments and two companies of NC artillery.[37] Colonel Thomas Clark of the 1^st was given the newly established 5^th to be stationed with the Southern Army.[38] The 5^th was yet to be raised and Colonel Clark did not leave to take command until later in the spring of 1779.[39]

Davidson remained in Philadelphia throughout the winter and into April, 1779, with occasional trips to Washington’s headquarters at Middlebrook, NJ. Throughout the war, General Washington lamented on an army whose terms of enlistments were far too short; pushing for troops to be enlisted for the war’s duration. While some colonies finally agreed, the North Carolina legislature refused, settling for nine month enlistments. By mid-April, the North Carolina troops recruited by Davidson and Hogun had finished their nine month service. The 3^rd under Lt Col. Davidson had been reduced to less than a company’s strength. Only a handful of rank and file re-enlisted with the rest heading home. Lt. Colonel Robert Mebane of the 1^st was chosen to accompany the men south and raise a new 3^rd Regiment that would transfer to the Southern Army under Gen. Benjamin Lincoln; Mebane would remain in command.  Why this position was not given to Davidson, who had already been leading the NC 3^rd regiment in Colonel Hogun’s absence, remains unknown.  This left Davidson without a command, though obtaining his commission with the main army.

New York Highlands, Leads the NC 1st, Ordered South

Early May, 1779, Davidson joined the North Carolina 1^st Brigade at Paramus,[40] NJ. Colonel Clark was still in command of the 1^st regiment but would soon depart south to lead the revised 5^th regiment. June 1^st, Davidson lead the 1^st regiment from Paramus to the Highland’s department at West Point under General James McDougall. June 9^th, 1779, Davidson was officially transferred to the 1^st regiment. Records for the 1^st remain fuzzy during this period. Though Colonel Clark had departed for the south to command the 5^th regiment, Davidson was left to command the 1^st, but was not promoted to colonel.[41]

May of that year, the North Carolina state legislature passed a resolution for all North Caroline troops serving with Washington’s army be returned to the southern department. The British had followed up with their capture of Savannah in late December, 1778 and had invaded the interior of South Carolina along the Savannah River. General Benjamin Lincoln and the Southern Continental Army, along with southern militias, had been resisting and pushing the British back towards Savannah. The North Carolina legislature wished for their regiments to be returned to aid the southern army. But Congress refused to release the 1^st Brigade, numbering 737 NC Continentals[42] posted to the Highland Region. It was reported that British General Henry Clinton intended to invade the Hudson Valley which he did so in June, capturing several fortifications. After the fort at Stony Point was stormed and reclaimed by General Anthony Wayne on July 16^th and the affair at Paulus Hook, New Jersey, August 19^th, the situation in the north calmed down.

While in the Hudson Valley region, Davidson’s main duties, besides daily affairs with his regiment, were presiding over court-martials. By October of 1779, Washington received information that the British were planning an excursion to the south to either reinforce Savannah, or launch a major invasion. With the northern front quiet, except for minor clashes in what became the Foraging War, Congress was convinced to release transfer all North Carolina forces to the southern theatre. However, Washington dragged his feet and did not give the order to march until November 19, 1779.

It was a long and arduous winter trek south in the dead of winter. The North Carolina forces did not reach General Lincoln’s army at Charleston, South Carolina until March 3, 1780. While enroute, Davidson requested a leave of absence to visit his family, having only seen them once since his posting to the north. It was granted and he was to rejoin his regiment on May 1^st. After his leave expired, Davidson rode to Charleston, but by then the British invasion had encircled the city, leaving it impossible to get through. Shortly after, on May 12^th, Lincoln surrendered the Southern Continental Army that included the entire North Carolina Line. Davidson had escaped the carnage and turned home to await further orders.

North Carolina Militia Leader

Davidson maintained his commission in the Continental army, but without a command. Since the 1775 Snow Campaign, the south had enjoyed three years of relative calm. But in the past year, especially with the fall of Charleston, his homeland was scorched by civil war between Scotch-Irish patriots and a growing number of German and former Regulator loyalists.^[43]  Frequent clashes between sides, often between neighbors, resulted in bloody carnage and vengeful deaths. General Lord General Charles Cornwallis,[44] established outposts throughout Georgia and South Carolina. With his favorite pit-bull Lt. Colonel Banastre Tarleton, His Lordship quickly disposed of Continental forces left in the deep south. News of the Battle of Waxhaws, bordering Rowan and Mecklenburg Counties, where on May 29^th Tarleton massacred Colonel Buford’s 3^rd Virginia Regiment, alarmed and aroused North Carolina’s patriot militia into action. Many were former nine-month enlistments in the North Carolina Line. Hundreds responded to Salisbury’s District’s call to arms. Among them was Davidson

June 3^rd, 1780, approximately 900 militiamen assembled at Charlotte under General Griffith Rutherford.[45] Within a week, word reached them that Lord Colonel Rawdon [46] had marched a strong British force from Camden to the Waxhaws region. June 10^th, 800 of the NC militia had gathered at Reese’s’ Plantation, 18 miles northeast of Charlotte. On the 14^th, General Rutherford organized his officers, selecting Lt. Colonel William Davidson as his second in command. Davidson was given a battalion of 300 light infantry among whom were 65 light horseman, former Continental Major William R. Davie[47] commanding. Davidson marched southwest the next day. Rutherford soon learned that Rawdon had returned to Camden, but that a large force of loyalists was assembling at Ramsour’s Mill,[48] near present day Lincolnton, 40 miles northwest of Charlotte. The general ordered his forces to advance; Davidson’s light infantry in the van.

On June 18^th, Colonel Francis Locke of Rowan County was at mountain creek, 16 miles east of the Tories, leading 400 militiamen. That same day he was ordered to wait for Davidson who was rapidly heading his way; discrepancy exists if the message ever reached Locke. Though heavily outnumbered, Locke decided to attack directly. He was concerned the loyalists would become too strong for an assault, reported that a thousand men had arrived in the past week alone. June 19^th, his men marched all night and arrived at dawn on the 20^th. At the Battle of Ramsour’s Mill, Locke immediately attacked the enemy camp of 1,300 men by surprise. In a fierce and vindictive battle between neighbors, often hand to hand, the loyalists were routed. Davidson arrived two hours after the one hour battle ended. Davidson gave chase after loyalist survivors. Panic resolved, soon after the militiamen under Davidson and Rutherford melted away and headed home.

Wounded at Colson’s Mill, Misses Battle of Camden

Like Ramsour’s Mill, loyalist leader Colonel Samuel Bryan had been gathering loyalists in northern Salisbury County; reported to have several hundred under his command. After the Tory defeat at Ramsour’s Mill, Bryan was ordered by Cornwallis not to do anything drastic, as His Lordship was planning to invade North Carolina in the early fall and needed the militiamen. But Bryan was impatient and worried the patriot would attack first. With 800 poorly armed followers, he crossed the Yadkin on June 30^th and headed towards safety among the British forces at Cheraw Hills, South Carolina, about 75 miles southeast of Charlotte. Rutherford got wind of Bryan’s movement and marched to attack, barely catching the loyalists at Salisbury. There, Davidson’s force was detached to halt the loyalists’ march. Bryan’s force, all green, were informed of Davidson’s approach panicked, marching day and night to escape. General Rutherford called off the pursuit when the Tories neared Cheraw, leaving Davidson’s cavalry to remain and patrol the region.

Late July, 1780, Davidson received word that around 400 Tories had gathered at Colson’s Mill, about 50 miles east of Charlotte, near present day Norwood, NC. With 200 cavalry under his command, Davidson decided to stage a surprise attack, arriving in the Colson Mill area on July 21^st. Davidson artfully divided his force for both a frontal and flank attack. He was discovered positioning his men and the loyalists fired upon them. But an experienced Continental officer, Davidson had drilled the men in tactics during his short time as their leader and instilled confidence. They assembled under fire and attacked. Davidson always led his men from the front, never behind.  Riding among militiamen dressed in frontier fashion, his full, bright blue Continental Colonel’s uniform offered a conspicuous target for riflemen sharpshooters.

During the attack, Davidson was shot off his horse, wounded in the stomach and carried from the field. However, rare for militia, his men did not panic and followed through with the attack, routing the enemy. The Tories left three dead and five wounded. Two rebels were wounded, including Davidson. He was taken home where the next two months, he recuperated. As such, he missed the upcoming Battle of Camden where the resurrected Southern Continental Army was soundly defeated and General Rutherford taken captive.[49]

General William Lee Davidson Takes Command of North Carolina Militia

At a time when a stomach wound, ‘gut shot,’ was considered fatal, Davidson survived. The bullet had entered the umbilical region and just missed his kidney, passing through his body. For the next two months, he recuperated at home with his wife Mary and five young children, with the sixth on its way. His recovery was so rapid that by early September, Davidson was up and about and eager to resume command. He had not long to wait.

Two days after Camden, Cornwallis destroyed a patriot militia under General Thomas Sumpter at the Battle of Fishing Creek. He moved rapidly to consolidate his power in South Carolina and prepared to invade the north. However, South Carolina backcountry militia under the independent commands of Thomas Sumter and Francis ‘Swampfox’ Marion hazarded His Lordship’s attempts to do so. Supplies and lines of communications were severed and British patrols and loyalist units were attacked using guerrilla tactics. This forced Cornwallis to continually detach units to pursue the pesky enemy, wearing down his men and supplies. Meanwhile, in North Carolina, the captured leader of the Salisbury District, General Griffith Rutherford, had to be replaced. The Salisbury District was the largest military district in the state, comprising 13 counties, almost the entire western third of North Carolina. On August 31^st, Colonel Francis Locke and commanders of Rowan and Mecklenburg Counties successfully petitioned the NC legislature at Hillsborough to select Davidson to take Rutherford’s place.[50] Newly commissioned Brigadier General William Lee Davidson though leading militia, continued to maintain his commission in the Continental Army.[51]

Cornwallis Invades NC, Davidson’s Militia Stalls the British, Battle of King’s Mountain

General Cornwallis left camp near Camden, SC on September 7, 1780, and marched toward the Waxhaws. It became obvious this was his first step toward invading North Carolina with Charlotte in the crosshairs, only 20 miles from His Lordship’s new camp. Soon after, around 400 backcountry woodsmen from Mecklenburg County, basically a mob on the verge of panic, muddled around Charlotte without a chosen leader. The next day, General Davidson rode amongst this turmoil and took command to the relief of all. He immediately organized the men into fighting units, assessed all arms available, and sent out a call throughout the Salisbury District for reinforcements. Men from further west did not respond. British Major Patrick Ferguson had assembled a considerable loyalist force; thereby patriot militia remained home to protect their families and valuables.

General Thomas Sumter from South Carolina arrived on September 21^st with 800 militiamen to find Davidson’s militia only 200 strong; many were absent patrolling the countryside. Sumter and Davidson, old friends, had decided since demoralizing defeats at Camden and Fishing Creek, and without Continental support, they were not strong enough for a general action against the British army. When it was reported Cornwallis broke camp and was marching on Charlotte, Davidson ordered a general retreat north to Salisbury. He left his brigade cavalry under Colonel Davie to do all he could to delay Cornwallis’ advance. On September 26^th, at the Battle of Charlotte, the skilled backwoodsman blackened Tarleton’s elite Legion’s eye at the Battle of Charlotte, throwing back their attack and delaying Cornwallis’ army throughout the day. This allowed Davidson’s and Sumter’s commands time to distance themselves from the British and regroup.

Panic gripped the region, but Davidson’s steadfastness and cool thought calmed regional militia leaders. He organized units and ordered strikes against the enemy when opportunities arose. The countryside was soon teaming with defiant rebels staging guerrilla raids. This convinced Cornwallis to advance no further and establish his headquarters at Charlotte. It wasn’t long before the British base of command was isolated. Davidson advanced his camp to Rocky River, 13 miles from Charlotte, so better to organize his militia’s repeated attacks on the enemy, especially foraging parties. A dragnet of resistance formed around Charlotte that cut off British supplies and communications. Meanwhile, Major Fergusson’s loyalist force camped at Gilbert Town, NC continued to grow. With Cornwallis stalled, Davidson and the district colonels could then concentrate on the Tory threat from the west.

Davidson ordered a force to assemble at Sherrill’s Ford on the Catawba River to counter any march by Ferguson’s Tories to join Cornwallis at Charlotte. To the west and north of Ferguson, militia colonels from the fringe of the wilderness as well as “over the mountain men” beyond the Allegheny Mountains, had been assembling. Ferguson had issued a proclamation to these wilderness settlers, demanding a loyalty oath to the crown or suffer destruction. On September 24th, Davidson wrote to them and ordered, if possible, to pursue Ferguson and attack. Two days later, at 1,200 strong, the militia marched. Though General Davidson was technically in command, but things were moving rapidly. The colonels needed to choose a field commander from among themselves; Colonel William Campbell, who had the largest number of men present, was selected. Ferguson’s command, numbering around 900 local militia and partisan regulars,[52] got wind of the superior rebel pursuit from the west and marched east to join up with Cornwallis. Forty miles from the safety of British troops, the militiamen caught up with the Tories on October 7, 1780. At the Battle of Kings Mountain, Ferguson’s command was defeated, suffering multiple casualties and the rest captured. After this devastating news, along with continued stiff resistance from Davidson’s militia, Cornwallis called off the invasion until next spring when he expected reinforcements from New York City. His Lordship marched back to South Carolina, arriving at Winnsboro in late October, about 30 miles northwest of Camden.

Cowpens, and the Race to the Dan

General Horatio Gates, the hero of Saratoga and disgraced at Camden, still commanded the Southern Continental Army stationed at Hillsborough, NC. He used his influence with Congress to offer a brigadier commission to retired Colonel Daniel Morgan, considered among the army’s best commanders. General Daniel Morgan arrived in October and welcomed to his brigade two of the finest cavalry officers, Colonels William Washington and Lt. Colonel Henry ‘Light Horse Harry’ Lee. Morgan immediately began harassing the British, campaigning in the Catawba and Camden regions. Militia leader General Davidson joined his former colleagues from Valley Forge, Morgan and Lee, in mutual respect to coordinate attacks on British outposts and patrols in South Carolina. Late November, Gates transferred the Southern Continental Army’s headquarters to Charlotte upon Morgan’s recommendation.

December 3^rd, Geneal Gates was replaced with Major General Nathanael Greene. Unlike his predecessor, Greene recognized the value of local militia; especially cavalry. He too had befriended Davidson during the Philadelphia campaigns and worked well with him. Prior to Greene’s arrival, Davidson had proposed a plan in which Morgan would detach around 1,000 men from the Continental Army and march west, leaving the main army to the east. This would force Cornwallis to also divide his force, allowing the Americans the opportunity to attack and defeat one of the enemy forces. Greene saw the merit in Davidson’s plans, but not to attack the British in a general action. Splitting the army would ease the army’s food and forage concerns while Morgan’s detachment would bolster local militia support. December 21th, Morgan marched west of the Catawba River with 1,200 of Greene’s most experienced regulars. Greene set up his headquarters further east, near the Pee Dee River at Cheraw, South Carolina, 95 miles from Morgan’s command. Davidson’s militia remained between the two American forces, to block any movement by Cornwallis north.

Davidson was active in recruiting, hardly out of his saddle riding the region and persuading militiamen to join Greene’s army; prior to Morgan leaving, he personally delivered 125 recruits. As Davidson predicted, Cornwallis countered Greene’s move and split his troops in early January 1781. He detached his young mastiff, Lt. Colonel Banastre Tarleton with around 1,100 regulars to trap Morgan’s force between the two British armies. Tarleton pursued Morgan relentlessly and saw an opportunity to attack Morgan on the morning of January 17, 1781. Tarleton’s force was soundly defeated at the Battle of Cowpens. As such, Cornwallis lost a battalion of Highlanders and Brigade of Light Infantry, among his finest troops, which greatly reduced his army’s effectiveness. Davidson did not participate in the battle, but his militia with Morgan were instrumental in the victory.

Cornwallis could not replace the men captured at Cowpens and was furious to catch Morgan and reclaim his captured troops. On January 19th, two days after Cowpens, Cornwallis initiated what has been called the Race to the Dan. His Lordship was unrelenting in his pursuit of Morgan who was later joined by Greene. The American object was to cross the Dan River into Virginia, some 250 miles distant. In doing so, Greene intended to wear down the British army while luring them north and far from their lines of supply. Meanwhile, Greene drew closer to his supply line and reinforcements in Virginia. Morgan had maintained a day’s march on Cornwallis and reached the Catawba River on January 23^rd, crossing at Sherrill’s Fords just as the river became impassable by heavy rains. On the 26^th, General Davidson had arrived with 800 militiamen.[53] Late afternoon on the 31^st, Davidson met with Morgan and newly arrived General Greene. Greene’s main army was still marching to join with Morgan at Salisbury on the Yadkin River, 35 miles further north. The commanders sat on a log and in 20 minutes, planned an action to delay Cornwallis as long as possible, giving Morgan time to put distance between the two armies. Davidson immediately began preparing his defense of the Catawba while within an hour, the Continentals marched. Within fourteen hours, Davidson would be dead.

Battle of Cowan’s Ford and Death of General Davidson

For some days, Cornwallis had been on the west side of the flooded Catawba River, staring at Morgan’s command and biting at the bit to cross the swollen river. Davidson would contest any attempt by the British to cross by deploying his troops at four separate fords; Beattie’s which was the main crossing and considered Cornwallis’ choice for infantry. Four miles south was Cowan’s Ford which Greene cautioned Davidson that the British horse would cross and attack the militia from behind. Four and ten miles further south were Toole’s Ford and Tuckasegee Fords which caution demanded they be guarded. Once the British crossed, Davidson was to retreat as quickly as possible to rejoin the army at Salisbury where they would cross the Yadkin River to safety. The water being so high, Greene figured he would have a two or three day’s march on Cornwallis. But he did not factor His Lordship’s persistence and will to push his army to its limit.

Davidson divided his men between the four fords, focusing on Beattie’s and Cowan’s Fords. Around 300 infantry were to contest the believed main attack at Beattie’s and 200 positioned at Cowan’s, with the addition of around 65 cavalry. Cowan’s Ford was unusual. Four hundred yards wide, it split in mid-stream with a wagon ford of deeper water heading straight. A horse ford separated at a forty-five angle which was not as deep and exited the water ¼ mile down river. Davidson positioned most of his infantry at the horse ford, thinking his enemy would choose the shallower path and only 25 men at the wagon ford. The cavalry was placed as reserve a couple hundred yards behind the wagon ford. Davidson’s camp was near the horse ford.

In what has been called the Battle of Cowan’s Ford, Cornwallis decided to brave the flooded river the very next morning. On February 1, 1781, at 1 AM, his men marched toward the river. A detachment of infantry that included his Jaeger riflemen and artillery headed to Beatties to feint a crossing. The bulk of his army would enter the river at Cowan’s Ford at first light. Not expecting an attack so soon, the militia were asleep when His Lordship’s troops silently entered the water. Disciplined troops plowed through the rush of river that was under a heavy mist. They were already midstream when the splash of water and struggling troops arose a sentry. Either he yelled or fired a warning that stirred the militia to action. When they came to where the ford split, instead of following the horse ford, the loyalist guide carried on straight, into the wagon ford. As rebel fire began to take its toll in casualties, the regulars found themselves in deeper water. The fast current took its tool with several redcoats losing their footing, to be swept downstream and drown. Yet the bulk pressed onward and followed Cornwallis’ example who rode before them.

Rebel cavalry soon joined the infantry, adding their fire. By then General Davidson had ridden up at the head of his infantry that had been positioned at the horse ford. He ordered the cavalry back in support with the sound of cannon from Beattie’s Ford to the north; the feint had begun. According to eyewitness accounts,[54] Davidson calmly positioned the men as he rode a ridge along the river bank. The British van scrambled out of the water and began loading muskets. Like at Colson’s Mill where he’d been wounded, Davidson wore his Continental blue uniform. Some wrote afterwards he was a conspicuous target for sharpshooters. Just as Davidson rode about 50 feet in front of his infantry to observe the enemy’s movements, the redcoats released a volley.[55] A bullet passed through Davidson’s heart, killing him instantly.

While the British were crossing, one of their commanders, Lt. Colonel Hall was killed; however, his veteran troops carried on due to rigid discipline. No such self-control existed among the rebel ranks. Seeing their leader fall, the infantry immediately gave up the fight and ran. By the time Cornwallis’ force had gained the bank and marched north to Beattie’s Ford, the militia had largely escaped and were on the road towards Salisbury. They left behind four dead and an unknown number of wounded and captive. Of the dead lay General Davidson.

Aftermath

Cornwallis took the rest of the day to cross his army and organize them to march north. He sent his cavalry under Lt. Col. Tarleton to chase down rebel militia. At Torrence’s Tavern, about 10 miles north of Beattie’s Ford, the Legion leader came upon Torrence’s Tavern. It was clogged with rambling militiamen and refugee families running from Cornwallis’ path. He tore into this confused maelstrom, killing more than 50 militiamen, far more than at the battle itself. The rest of the militia reached Salisbury in time to board boats carrying the last of Greene’s army across the Yadkin. When the British van arrived, once again all they could do is stare across a flooded river and witness the last rebels climbing up the banks. Greene would win his race and cross the Dan River into Virginia. A month later, with his army well fed, amply supplied, and reinforced, he crossed back into North Carolina and fought a British army worn out and ill fed and poorly supplied. Greene lost the Battle of Guilford Courthouse, but he retreated with his army intact. For Cornwallis? He lost a third of his army that could not be replaced, in a devastating pyrrhic victory.[56] Without food or supplies, his exhausted troops stumbled to the coast at Williamsburg, eventually leaving the deep south to meet their fate at Yorktown.

Davidson Grave and Shooting

Major David Wilson and two others braved the night of battle with British patrols nearby, and found Davidson’s body, stripped of clothing and belongings. They carried him to nearby Hopewell Presbyterian Church Cemetery. Davidson lived nearby and some sources state his wife Mary Brevard witness the burial, but no primary source mentions her presence. Captain Joseph Graham, commanding the cavalry at Cowan’s Ford wrote years later that Davidson fell by a small caliber rifled bullet and the British guide Frederick Hager, being the only one carrying a rifle, was the shooter. However, Graham’s information was secondary, recorded years later relying on tradition. He was not witness to Davidson’s death, having already pulled his cavalry back as ordered by Davidson. Also, Davidson’s body was recovered late at night amid British patrols and immediately whisked to a nearby cemetery to be buried by torch light. There would be no time, nor desire under those circumstances to examine what type of bullet killed the general.

Militiaman Robert Henry saw the British guide twice during the crossing and identified him as local loyalist Dick Beal, not Frederick Hager. Henry was with Davidson moments before the general was killed, stating the British volleyed when Davidson fell from his horse. Whether the volley or a sharpshooter is responsible remains speculation; however, more than likely Davidson was the victim of British regulars firing from the banks.

Legacy

In 1923, an eight foot monument was erected where Davidson was to have fallen, commissioned by Davidson’s great grand-son E. J. Baxter Davidson. Early 1959, when the Cowan’s Ford Dam was planned, the neglected 1923 monument had been rediscovered; covered in thick weeds and barbed thickets. It was moved south of the dam, 1500 feet up an embankment from the river. On February 1, 1971, Duke Power President William McGuire officiated the dedication of a new monument to Brigadier General William Lee Davidson. The text on the monument was written by historian Chalmers G. Davidson who indicated that “The exact spot [of Davidson’s death] is now under water near the east end of the dam.”[49]

In 1837, a school was built on land donated by Davidson’s great grandson E. J. Baxter Davidson. It started as a manual labor and training school before renamed Davidson College in honor of General Davidson. The area developed around the college so by 1891, Davidson College was also named the town of Davidson. Davidson County, North Carolina, is named for General Davidson.

A Dam at Cowan’s Ford was built by Duke Power between September 1959 and 1963, to provide hydroelectric energy for the region. Lake Norman formed behind the damn (named for Duke Power CED Norman Cocke) that flooded the Catawba River. Much of the historic Battle of Cowan’s Ford and all of Beattie’s and Sherrell’s Ford, including the trek Greene and Cornwallis followed north to Salisbury is underwater.

To Read More We Recommend the Following Books

Of Further Interest on Revolutionary War Journal

Battle of Cowan’s Ford

American Revolution In the South: A Brutal Civil War

Road to Guilford Courthouse

In the South: Continental Congress Finally Gets it Right with General Nathanael Greene

Daniel Morgan: His Life and the Battle of Cowpens

Battle of Kings Mountain

Battle of Germantown Part 1

Arguments for a Southern British Invasion

General Richard Richardson: South Carolina’s First in Freedom

Resource

Adkins, Christopher.  “William Lee Davidson, The Last General of the Catawba.” Sept. 21, 2025. LKN Law.

Adkins, Christopher. “The Battle at Cowan’s Ford: Mecklenburg’s Last Stand in the Revolution.” November 21, 2025. LKN Law:

American Revolution North Carolina Tours. “Battle of Cowan’s Ford: The British Push Across the Catawba.”

Anderson, William Lee.  “Defense of the Catawba River by North Carolina militiamen that helped save the American Army Southern Department.”

Buchanan, John. The Road to Guilford Courthouse: The American Revolution in the Carolinas. New York: Wiley, 1997.

Eyewitness Sketch of the North Carolina Brigade. Museum of the American Revolution, Philadelphia, PA.

Graham, Alexander William.  General Joseph Graham and His Papers on North Carolina Revolutionary History. 1904: Edwards & Broughton, Raleigh, North Carolina.

Graham, Alexander William. General William Lee Davidson; An Address. 1906: Fourth of July Oration, Guilford Battleground Co., Greensboro, North Carolina.

Davidson, Chalmers Gaston. Piedmont Partisan: The Life and Times of General Willaim Lee Davidson. 1951: Davidson College, Davidson, North Carolina.

Heitman, Francis B.  Historical Register of Officers of the Continental Army During the War of the Revolution April, 1775 to December, 1783.  1914: Washington National Capital Press, Inc., Washington DC.

Henry, Robert & Edited by David Schenck.  Narrative of the battle of Cowan’s Ford, February 1st, 1781. 1891: Manuscript furnished by Lyman C. Draper, Published by Reece & Elam, Greensboro, NC.

Schenawolf, Harry.  “Race to the Dan.” March 24, 2026: Revolutionary War Journal.

Schenawolf, Harry. “Battle of Cowan’s Ford.” September 22, 2026. Revolutionary War Journal.

Swisher, James.  The Revolutionary War in the Southern Backcountry. 2007: Pelican Publishing, Gretna, LA.

Williams, Samuel C. “Generals Francis Nash & William Lee Davidson.” Tennessee Historical Quarterly. Vol. 1, No. 3 (SEPTEMBER, 1942), pp. 250-268 (19 pages). Published by Tennessee Historical Society.

Endnotes

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[1] Another notable commander who led from the front, never from the rear, and died during battle was Colonel Thomas Knowlton who had fought valiantly at Bunker Hill, June 17, 1775. On September 16, 1776, once more leading his men into the fray, he was killed at the Battle of Harlem Heights. The loss of a great promised leader that saddened Washington greatly.

[2] William Lee Davidson later added Lee to his name. Some believe it was to honor his friend Henry ‘Light Horse Harry’ Lee. However, sources indicate the middle name was added before he met the commander of Continental Light Infantry. No primary source traces William’s reason to Lt. Colonel Henry Lee. Neither did Lee write he was thus honored by Davidson.

[3] Scotch Protestants were colonized to northern Catholic Ulster County Ireland by the English to bind themselves more closely to Ireland. 

[4] It is estimated that more than one half of Ulster’s Protestant population immigrated to America before the Revolution. By 1775 they constituted approximately 1/6^th of the population of the original 13 revolting colonies. Chalmer Davidson in Piedmont Partisan, pg. 2.

[5] Little if anything is known of Margaret Davidson, William’s mother. She was the widow Simmerel before she married William’s father George. She may or may not have been William’s birth mother; possible that she was George’s second wife and stepmother to some or all of George’s children.

[6] Williams’ brother George Jr. received the bulk of the plantation with Willaim a tract on Fourth Creek. His brother Samuel only received one shilling; the reason Samuel was cut off is a mystery as it was never recorded.

[7] William did not go to Queen’s College in Charlotte, for the academy was not established unil 1771, some years after William was no longer a student.

[8] William Tryon, was a former military officer in the British army. As governor of North Carolina, he infamously used military force to put down the Regulator Movement. He later was Royal Governor of New York during the American Revolution and remained as such while British forces occupied New York City.

[9] John Brevard had by the late 1767’s established a profitable living, owning both black and white indentured slaves. Though considered an outstanding member of the community, he was a man of strict violence – reported to hang one of his black slaves for an unnamed offense, decapitated the man, then displayed the head as a warning to others.

[10] Regulator Movement: Working-class farmers vs. wealthy eastern planter/merchant elite who controlled courts and fees. Backcountry farmers trying to etch a living from mountainous terrain were unfairly taxed at the same rate as fertile, established coastal land. England naturally sided with the coastal “Rice Kings,” from whom they imported vast quantities of rice and indigo. The movement was violently put down by Royal Governor Tryon, leaving a bad taste in backcounty settlers.

[11] Schopholites was a form of propaganda, a derogatory term to unite patriot frontiersmen who lumped all who favored the Crown to be defined as enemies. The moniker’s origins ran from a notorious cattle thief Joseph Coffell also called Scoffield, to a skin disease, to tying Coffell’s name to a slave caravan; all meant to belittle and degrade entire communities. As such, scopholites were to be silenced or driven from their homes. The result; early in the American Revolution and throughout the conflict, loyalists and patriot rebels turned to violence as the Carolinas boiled over in civil war.

[12] General Richard Richardson (1704-1780) was long a planter (one of the coastal Rice Kings) and military leader of South Carolina, having led troops in the French and Indian War and several campaign against the Native Americans. He was 71 years of age when he led the Carolina patriots against the Tory uprising.

[13] Many of the Salisbury District regiments lands bordered the Waxhaws and further south Ninety-Six regions that were a hotbed of Tories from both North and South Carolina. They joined South Carolina militiamen organized in the fall and winter of 1775 to squelch the loyalist uprising.

[14] The Snow Campaign was named such as while rounding up backcountry loyalists and marching the leaders back to the coast for trial, over a foot of snow fell with temperatures plummeting. Improperly attired, many suffered frost bite.

[15] Loyal Scotsmen, many former regulators who had given their oath to the King, assembled in coordination with the planned spring, 1776 British invasion of the south. They were marching to the coast to join General Henry Clinton’s invasion force sailing down from New York City. They were blocked by a large patriot force at Moore’s Creek Bridge, NC, and soundly defeated.

[16] At first state regiments, the North Carolina 1^st and 2^nd officially became part of the Continental Army on Nov. 28, 1775. In April, 1776, to comply with the 2^nd Continental Congress, six more regiments were formed. The original two regiments were present at the successful defense of Charleston and Battle of Sullivan Island, June 28, 1776. In February, 1777, they transferred from the Southern Continental Army and marched north to join General Washington’s army in New Jersey, participating in the Battles to defend Philadelphia.

[17] At first, North Carolina’s state legislature ordered enlistments in the Continental Army to be six to nine months. In 1776, most expanded the enlistment to three years. However, by 1777, after the depletion of regiments due to casualties and disease and earlier nine month enlistments ending, new recruits or levees signed up for nine month enlistments to Washington’s great displeasure.

[18] Some sources give Davidson’s commission as Major of the 4^th Regiment as May 7, 1776.

[19] Of the 4^th NC Regiment; Colonel Thomas Polk of Mecklenburg commanded the unit with James Thackston as lieutenant and Major Davidson third in command.

[20] Districts are not to be confused with counties. North Carolina counties were grouped together and divided into military districts, each to be commanded by a state brigadier general. The Salisbury District that covered most of the entire western third of the state was the largest.

[21] Davidson’s presence with General Rutherford’s purge of the Cherokees in August of 1776 is unsupported. There are no records of his presence on the rosters of the campaign that was meticulously kept. It is unlikely a Continental officer would be released from duty while a British fleet remained off shore to assist a South Carolina militia commander. Only one soldier stated such in his pension application after the war. Piedmont Partisan, pg. 39.

[22] Washington had already ordered the North Carolina regiments north back in September, 1776 after the disaster at the Battle of Long Island and the British invasion of New York City. But with the threat of a British Invasion along the NC coast and SC ports, the order was countermanded and the southern troops remained in the south.

[23] The earliest report of North Carolina Brigade’s strength that joined Washington preparing to defend Philadelphia was after the battles, November 11, 1777. It showed 139 officers and 1,025 rank and file, totaling 1,150 present for duty.^[23] However, the NC Brigade suffered heavily during the Battle of Germantown and doesn’t reflect that loss

[24] The North Carolina brigade marched through Philadelphia to join Washington’s army on August 25, 1777, documented in a rare eyewitness sketch by Pierre Eugène du Simitière.

[25] C. Davidson claimed it is most likely that Lt. Col. William Lee Davidson marched north on Sept. 1^st, therefore missing the Battle of Brandywine Creek. C. Davidson, pg. 44.

[26] Nashville, Tennessee was named after General Francis Nash.

[27] After General Nash’s death, the command of the NC Brigade was temporarily lead by Major General Alexander McDougall. On Nov. 7^th, a board recommended Brigadier General Lachlan McIntosh of Georgia to lead the brigade and was leading the brigade when they entered winter camp at Valley Forge. Colonel Thomas Clark of the 1st North Carolina Regiment was officially given direct field command of the North Carolina Brigade on May 15, 1778, serving under Major General Lafayette. Permanent Replacements were assigned on January 9, 1779, Jethro Sumner, and later James Hogun.

[28] Colonel Balcombe, who was wounded and left for dead, was captured at Germantown. He remained listed on the books as commander of the 5^th, believing he would be shortly be exchanged. The British patrolled him to Philadelphia while he waited for an exchange. In May, 1778, he fell down stairs during the night and opened his old wounds, dying for loss of blood.

[29] Tradition states that at the Nov. 7, 1777 board that recommended promotions, that Colonel Jethro Sumner recommended Davidson as Lt. Colonel of the 5^th to replace Lt. Col. Irwin due to Major Davidson’s gallantry at Germantown.

[30] Some secondary sources state that soon thereafter Germantown, Davidson was temporarily re-assigned to the 7^th NC Regiment under Colonel James Hogun, exact date unknown.

[31] A plaque at Valley Forge lists: Division commander Major General John Sullivan, North Carolina Brigade Commander Brigadier General Lachlan Mcintosh, and NC 5^th Infantry, Lt. Col. Wm. L. Davidson.

[32] Valley Forge returns made the day after arrival: present for duty, 46; sick present, 14; sick

in hospital, 67; unfit for duty, on account of want of clothing, 64. Williams, pg. 257.

[33] C. Davidson, pg. 48.

[34] Colonel James Hogun later was promoted to command the newly organized 1^st NC Brigade. On 1/9/1779, Hogun was commissioned as a Brigadier General and given command of the 1st NC Brigade headquartered in Philadelphia, PA. At that time, the 1st NC Brigade consisted of the 1st NC Regiment, the 2nd NC Regiment, the 3rd NC Regiment, and two companies of NC Artillery.

[35] During the summer of 1778, Colonel Hogun led the NC 3^rd,

[36] Most secondary accounts state Davidson was at the Battle of Monmouth. There is no primary documentation that places him in New Jersey during the battle. The NC 1^st under Colonel Clark, Lt. Col. Robert Mebane, and the 2^nd under Colonel John Patten, Lt. Col. Selby Harney, were at Monmouth. After the March 1778 consolidation of the NC regiments to three from the remaining six, Davidson, now Lt. Colonel of the 3^rd Reg., rode home to Rowan and Mecklenberg Counties to recruit. He was traveling north to rejoin the army when Monmouth was fought. Further evidence of Davidson’s presence in North Carolina at the time of the Battle of Monmouth: it was reported to the Continental Congress that for extra duty services throughout the summer of 1778: ie supervision of enlistments, Davidson was to be paid $835. C. Davidson pp. 51 & 52.

[37] Former commander of the NC Brigade, Brigadier General Lachlan Mcintosh had left this position some months previously, leaving it officially vacant until newly commissioned General Hogun took command.

[38] The NC 5^th Regiment was raised in North Carolina and with Colonel Clark in command, joined General Lincoln’s command and fight at Steno Ferry. But when their 9 month service ended, the men went home. The 5^th was disbanded, never to be resurrected. Colonel Clark was once more given the NC 1^st command when it marched south to join the southern army in 1780.

[39] Colonel Thomas Clark was in the south by June, 1779, leading the newly raised 5^th NC Reg. at the Battle of Steno Ferry, June 28^th, 1779, in which he was wounded.

[40] The NC 1^st Brigade consisting of the 1^st and 2^nd regiments had been there since December, 1778.

[41] So too, Lt. Colonel Mebane led the 3^rd regiment without promotion to colonel.

[42] Graham, pg. 12.

[43] When the regulator movement was squashed by England and the coastal aristocracy, many of the movement had given their oath to Royal Governor Tyron and the king. With revolution, many who professed to be King’s men would not break that oath. These loyalists also saw the patriot movement as another tool of coastal ‘Rice Kings,’ to maintain power over backcountry settlers, many of whom had settled further west along the frontier.  

[44] General Charles Cornwallis was given command of the British southern forces shortly after Charleston fell. Supreme Commander General Henry Clinton sailed back to New York City soon after.

[45] General Griffith Rutherford (1721-1805) was 59 years old when Davidson became his second. He had been Colonel of Rowen and Salisbury County militias and given command of NC militia by the legislature at war’s outbreak. Planter, politician, and acclaimed ‘Indian fighter,’ he had lead expeditions against Native Americans, including leading the 1776 brief war with the Cherokee. He was later captured at the battle of Camden, August, 16^th and imprisoned at St. Augustine, Florida. He was exchanged in September 1781, coming home to find it had been ransacked by British troops. He formed a large militia and was instrumental in driving British forces in NC’s coastal region back to Wilmington, NC where he surrounded the city, cutting off supplies and lines of communication. After Yorktown, the city was abandoned. Rutherford turned his attention to the Chickamauga in 1782 and launched a successful raid against their villages in what is now eastern Tennessee. He entered politics at war’s end and died age 84.

[46] Colonel Lord Francis Rawdon Hastings, known as Colonel Rawdon. He had distinguished himself at the Battle of Bunker Hill outside Boston on June 17, 1775 and been active in both north and southern theaters of the war. He would remain in charge of southern British forces when Cornwallis marched north to Virginia and Yorktown in 1781.

[47] Davidson and Davie would work closely together until Davidson’s death in February, 1781. Davidson, though considered a fearless fighter in battle, displayed leadership strengths in reliability and stability. But Davie would prove to outclass him in brilliance, daring, and originality.

[48] Local loyalist John Moore had served with the British during the siege of Charleston. He returned home to the Rowan County region in early June, 1780, and organized forty influential loyalists to return to their homes and recruit, to gather at Ramsour’s Mill. On June 13^th, 200 men arrived, but the numbers grew rapidly until within a week, by the time of the June 20^th battle, 1,300 loyalists were present.

[49] Some historians speculate that had Davidson been at the battle, his presence and leadership might have bolstered the North Carolina militia to stand their position when the battle was met. Unfortunately they, as a whole, except for one NC company positioned next to the Continentals, panicked and fled the field at the start of the battle – leaving the Continental forces to fend off Cornwallis’ entire army. Most were captured and American leader, Maj. Gen. Johann DeKalb, died later from multiple wounds. The army’s commander, Maj. General Horatio also fled at the battle’s first shots, positioned 800 yards behind the action, he immediately mounted his horse and disgracefully galloped to safety, riding 200 miles to Hillsborough, NC before stopping.

[50] Interestingly, the NC legislature while selecting Davidson to take Rutherford’s command, also chose Maryland Continental officer who had done well at and survived Camden, General William Smallwood, as Major General of all militia forces in North Carolina. A selection that did not go well with district generals.

[51] William Lee Davidson would later accede to “retirement at half pay for life” on January 1, 1781, and therefore was no longer a NC Continental officer.

[52] Partisan regulars were loyalists trained, uniformed and equipped as British regulars. General Henry Clinton had invaded the south with battalions of partisan regulars; famous among them were Tarleton’s Legion and DeLancy’s New York and New Jersey loyalists.

[53] The number of Davidson’s militia varied among sources from 500 – 800 with 600 being closer to the majority.

[54] Captain Joseph Graham of Mecklenburg County and local militiaman Robert Henry. Buchanan, pg. 347, Henry Narrative, pg. 11.

[55] The eyewitness account of militiaman Robert Henry.

[56] A pyrrhic victory is one where the winner had paid a price in casualties too dear to continue the fight. In effect, the victory was actually a defeat. Named for King Pyrrhus of Epirus, a Greek general. Pyrrhus defeated the Roman army at the Battle of Asculum in 279 BC, but his forces suffered massive, irreplaceable casualties. Accordingly, he is quoted as saying another such victory would totally ruin him.